KCK school offers pay-what-you-can tuition

Not all applicants will be accepted, officials say

A private school in Kansas City, Kan., is offering parents what it calls a first-of-its-kind tuition program: allowing families to pay whatever tuition it can afford.

Valor Christian Academy had been known as Muncie Christian School until it fell on rocky times and faced IRS foreclosure.

"The school was going to be closed down," said the Rev. Jose Vargas, the principal of Valor Christian Academy.

A local church offered a $140,000 bailout, giving the school a new lease on life and education. School officials are getting creative in order to get students in the seats, offering parents pay-what-you-can tuition.

Under the policy, parents can apply and an outside company can evaluate their income to determine what they can afford to pay.

"They bring it back to us, we evaluate it and check it out and we'll help the family come to a place where they will be able to meet that goal," Vargas said.

Bianca Homes has spent the past six years at the school. She said the pay-what-you-can offer is a unique opportunity for families, but no price tag can be placed on her experience there. She said she's received an education founded on strong faith.

"If somebody want to believe or come to believe, we have chapel here every Wednesday and it's powerful," she said.

The school said it's important the applicants know that not everyone who applies will be accepted and no student will get a completely free tide. All families will have to pay some sort of tuition, even if it's a small amount.